Hey scotty ! I have a 1992 mazda b2200 with 417000 miles . The headgasket blew out last year and I have been driving it around ever since . With no negative affects except it turns my coolant brown so I use water instead and I loose water when I drive because it over pressures the system . I don't want to spend big money on this beater . I tried gasket sealer and it helped alot but not fully repaired and clogged my radiator . I got a new radiator now so my for my second attempt with the sealer should I by pass the heater core and radiator? If I monitor the engine heat I can turn it off before over heating. Thanks !
I bought the truck for $700 4 years ago and drive it daily . Coming into winter I'm trying to repair the head so it won't turn my coolant into chocolate. Only for that I'd keep going with the water . I have done ove 50k miles with the blown gasket . No point giving up now 🤷♂️ is there any antifreeze on that market that wont turn brown ? I have no oil in the coolant just combustion fumes
You're flogging a dead horse. That engine is living on borrowed time that will run out sooner rather than later.
No point giving up now
You need to give it up.
I bought the truck for $700
I'd say you already got more than your money's worth out of it. Now you're just trying to squeeze blood from stone.
No point giving up now
You can either give on on it now or risk having it completely crater on you at the worst possible moment.
The only thing permanent about a blown head gasket is that very soon, you'll be walking instead of driving.
I would just like to stop the antifreeze browning
It's brown because your your engine is rusting away. Stick a fork in it you're wasting your time.
I would just like to stop the antifreeze browning if possible.
You're fighting rust. Straight water is just creating more rust, especially if you're using tap water. Engines aren't designed for straight water- they're meant to use 50/50 coolant. Hot tap water and a cast iron block= rust. Boil water in an unseasoned cast iron skillet- it rusts. There's literally nothing you can do except fix the head gasket or put the little engine out of its misery and leave water to freeze in the block on a cold night, then scrap it.
On a 2.2L 4 cylinder engine with a single overhead cam, a head gasket would be expensive, but not nearly as expensive as the V6 engines where you're dealing with upper and lower intake manifolds on the 3.0, or an intake manifold and a pair of overhead cams on the 4.0. The 3.0 needs the upper manifold removed to even replace the valve cover gaskets. Head gaskets don't typically just blow, especially on a relatively straightforward engine like that. Did you not care about antifreeze leaks until it blew, or not change the coolant ever and it corroded from the inside?
You replaced the radiator after it clogged, that was at least $100 to buy. The directions on those bottles say they must be used with new antifreeze, that's probably why it clogged up the 1st time. Really, you're just wasting your time and money at this point. I would either decide to fix the head gasket, or just let it go. Personally, if a car runs and drives fine and I've been driving it for a while, I'm more apt to make a larger repair.
Dude. Other more knowledgable mechanics here have spoken and therms know what they are talking about.
So I am just going to throw out super crazy wild ideas from a DIY non-mechanic, that I would probably never do, but may be band aid solutions you may be seeking.
1) Assuming it’s just fumes. Just keep changing the coolant/water. Water is cheap. It’s a beater car. It’s on its last legs. Change the coolant/water out at an interval like you would do an oil change. Or an interval like fill up for gas.
2) Fix the actual head gasket. Assuming it’s not too hard and not too expensive. I don’t know how hard it would be for your car. I gather it is expensive though because you are looking for alternatives.
I am well aware that the engine is finished thats why I'm not doing the headgasket in it . I know it will eventually die and thats no problem il scrap it then I would just like to stop the antifreeze browning if possible. I can flush it out and swap it for new when it gets bad thats easy . I do all my own servicing anyway.
All I want to do is prolong the day of reckoning. I have another vehicle I share with my wife so It doesn't bother me that it will eventually give up . When it dose il buy another beater . I work in construction